Morpheme Basics
What is the smallest unit of meaning in a word?
A Morpheme
What does the prefix un- usually mean?
Not / opposite of
What does -less mean?
Without
Build a word meaning “not kind.”
Un + kind = unkind
True or false: Morphology instruction can support vocabulary development.
True
Is cat one morpheme or two?
One
Add a prefix to happy to create a word meaning “not happy.”
Unhappy
Add a suffix to help to describe someone who provides help.
Helpful
Build a word meaning “to play again.”
Re + play = replay
Which is more effective for teaching morphology: memorizing a list of affixes or actively manipulating word parts?
Actively manipulating word parts
How many morphemes are in unhelpful?
Three: un + help + ful
What does re- mean in rewrite?
Again
What does -er mean in teacher?
A person who does something
Build a word meaning “without help.”
Help + less = helpless
A student sees the word fearless for the first time. What could you teach them to look for?
The base word “fear” and the suffix “-less.”
What is the base/root word in rereading?
Read
What does mis- mean in misunderstand?
Wrongly / incorrectly
What does -ness do to the word kind?
Turns it into a noun: kindness
Build a word meaning “full of hope.”
Hope + ful = hopeful
Give one way a teacher could make morphology instruction interactive.
Word-building blocks, word sorts, word matrices, games, etc.
Why is morphology useful for vocabulary development?
It helps students use meaningful word parts to determine or understand unfamiliar words.
What prefix could you add to possible to create a word meaning “not possible”?
Im- → impossible
How does adding -ly change the word quick?
It changes it into an adverb: quickly
Build a word using three morphemes that means “not helpful.”
Un + help + ful = unhelpful
A student knows that -less means “without.” They encounter the word careless for the first time. How can morphology help them determine its meaning?
They can combine “care” + “without” to infer that careless means without care / not showing care.